Mayoral Candidate Was Beaten, Burned: Family

The family of Marco McMillian, the Mississippi mayoral candidate found dead last week, has released more details about his gruesome murder. McMillian was beaten, dragged, and then set on fire, the family says in a statement, adding: "We feel this was not a random act of violence based on the condition of the body when it was found." McMillian was openly gay, and authorities say they are investigating the murder as a hate crime, but have released no further details.

The family says it came forward with the new information—which it says comes from the coroner—in part to dispel speculation about the killing. Theories have been going around that McMillian, 33, and the man charged in his murder, Lawrence Reed, 22, were in a romantic relationship, or that McMillian hit on Reed. All that's officially known is that Reed crashed McMillian's SUV on Tuesday after allegedly killing McMillian, whose body was found Wednesday. (More Marco McMillian stories.)